A system and method for managing an IP telephony network that uses a configuration map for organizing sites in a tree-like hierarchy. The system is capable of managing the addition, removal and movement of IP telephony elements within an IP telephony network and locating services and IP telephony elements within the IP telephony network in an efficient manner.
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1. A system for managing an IP telephony network having a plurality of sites, comprising: a configuration map organizing each of the plurality of sites in the IP telephony network relative to at least one other site; a routine for managing the IP telephony network, the routine having access to the configuration map; a first IP telephony element having a first association with a parent site, wherein a location of the first IP telephony element relative to other IP telephony elements in the IP telephony network is defined in the configuration map; and a second IP telephony element having a second association with the first IP telephony element, wherein the routine determines a parent site of the second IP telephony element based upon the first IP telephony element and associates the determined parent site with the second IP telephony element in the configuration map.
The system manages an IP telephony network with multiple sites by using a configuration map that arranges the sites hierarchically. A network management routine uses this map to track IP telephony elements, like phones or switches. When a new IP telephony element is added, the system determines its location relative to existing elements based on its parent site. For example, an IP phone is associated with a switch (the parent). The configuration map is then updated to reflect this new relationship, creating a dynamic, logical representation of the physical network layout to efficiently locate elements and manage services.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the determined parent site is the parent site of the first IP telephony element.
The system described above, where the network is managed through a hierarchical configuration map, ensures that a new IP telephony element inherits the same parent site as its associated element. Specifically, if an IP phone is associated with a switch that belongs to a particular site, the IP phone is also assigned to that same site in the configuration map. This simplifies network administration by automatically grouping related devices within the same logical location, even if they are physically located elsewhere.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first IP telephony element is a switch and the second IP telephony element is an extension associated with the switch.
In the IP telephony network management system, the "first IP telephony element" mentioned earlier is specifically a switch, and the "second IP telephony element" is an extension (like an IP phone) associated with that switch. The system uses the configuration map to maintain the relationship between the switch and its associated extensions, allowing for efficient tracking and management of phone system resources based on the switch hierarchy.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first IP telephony element has an IP address and the IP address is stored in the configuration map.
The invention relates to a system for managing IP telephony elements within a network. The problem addressed is the need to efficiently track and configure IP telephony devices, such as phones or gateways, by associating their network addresses with their functional roles. The system includes a configuration map that stores IP addresses of IP telephony elements, allowing the system to dynamically manage and route communications based on these addresses. The configuration map acts as a centralized repository, enabling the system to identify and interact with specific IP telephony elements by their IP addresses. This ensures proper routing of voice or data traffic and simplifies network administration by providing a clear mapping between IP addresses and the corresponding telephony devices. The system may also include additional components, such as a call controller or a signaling server, to facilitate communication between IP telephony elements. The stored IP addresses in the configuration map allow the system to dynamically update routing tables or call handling logic, ensuring seamless operation even as devices are added, removed, or reconfigured. This approach improves scalability and reliability in IP telephony networks by maintaining accurate and up-to-date address mappings.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein a communicative coupling between the plurality of sites is different than logical coupling information stored in the configuration map describing the organization of each of the plurality of sites in the IP telephony network relative to the at least one other site.
The logical organization of sites within the IP telephony network, as represented in the configuration map, can be different from the actual physical network connections. The configuration map provides a hierarchical view that is not necessarily tied to the underlying network topology. For example, sites may communicate directly with each other, but the map organizes them according to business function or geographic location. This separation allows for flexible network management and service deployment independent of physical constraints.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second IP telephony element is part of a first site, and the routine updates the second IP telephony element to have a third association with a third IP telephony element at a second site.
The IP telephony network management system includes a mechanism to move IP telephony elements between sites. If a phone is moved from a "first site" and associated with an IP telephony element at a "second site," the routine updates the phone's entry in the configuration map to reflect its new association. This ensures that the configuration map accurately represents the current physical location of all IP telephony elements within the network.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the first IP telephony element, the second IP telephony element, or the third IP telephony element are moved in the IP telephony network, and the routine detects the movement and updates one or more of the associations in the configuration map based on the movement.
Expanding on the IP telephony network management system that tracks IP telephony element movement, the system automatically detects when an IP telephony element (phone or switch) is moved and updates the configuration map accordingly. The associations within the map are adjusted to reflect the new location of the moved IP telephony element, guaranteeing that the map accurately represents the current physical topology. This automated updating prevents manual intervention and reduces errors.
8. The system of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the first IP telephony element, the second IP telephony element, or the third IP telephony element are moved in the IP telephony network, and the routine detects the movement and updates the configuration map based on the moved IP telephony element and updates one or more non-moved IP telephony elements in the IP telephony network based on the configuration map.
The IP telephony network management system not only updates the configuration map when an IP telephony element is moved, but also updates the configurations of other, non-moved IP telephony elements based on the changes. This uses the configuration map to understand dependencies, so when one element moves, the system can automatically propagate the necessary configuration changes to related elements. This ensures that the IP telephony network remains consistent after a device move.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the moved IP telephony element comprises a switch having an associated site map used to locate IP telephony elements within a site.
In the IP telephony network management system where moving a telephony element triggers configuration map updates, when the moved IP telephony element is a switch, the system also utilizes a site map specific to that switch. This site map helps to locate IP telephony elements within the site managed by that switch. The switch's site map and its location in the broader network are updated in the configuration map.
10. A method of updating a first site to be associated with a parent site in a configuration map of an IP telephony network, the method comprising: organizing a plurality of sites within the IP telephony network so that an IP telephony element at the first site receives services from a first server; associating the parent site with the first site; thereafter updating the configuration map with the association between the parent site and the first site; and updating the IP telephony element based on the updated configuration map to receive services from a second server that is part of a second site that is closer in the configuration map to a headquarters site than the first site is in the configuration map to the headquarters site and that has the services available.
A method for updating the site associations in an IP telephony network's configuration map involves reorganizing the network so that a site initially receiving services from one server is later associated with a different "parent" site in the configuration map. This change is recorded in the configuration map, and then the IP telephony elements within that site are updated to receive services from a different server. This new server is closer to the headquarters site in the configuration map and has the required services.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the headquarters site is a site in the IP telephony network that does not have a parent site in the configuration map.
In the method of updating site associations in an IP telephony network, the "headquarters site" refers to a top-level site in the configuration map hierarchy that does not have a parent site assigned to it. The headquarters site serves as the root or origin point within the configuration map, providing a central reference point for determining the relative location of other sites within the network.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the IP telephony element is updated after the configuration map is updated.
In the method of updating site associations in an IP telephony network's configuration map, the IP telephony elements are updated *after* the configuration map has been updated with the new site associations. This ensures that the configuration map accurately reflects the updated network topology before any changes are applied to the individual IP telephony elements.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the configuration map is stored on a server in the IP telephony network other than a primary server located at the headquarters site.
In the method of updating site associations in an IP telephony network, the configuration map is stored on a server that is *not* the primary server located at the headquarters site. This provides redundancy and ensures that the configuration map remains accessible even if the primary server experiences issues. By distributing the configuration map across multiple servers, the system improves its overall reliability and availability.
14. A method of utilizing a configuration map to identify a location of a service in an IP telephony network, the configuration map defining the location of each of the sites in the IP telephony network relative to each other, the method comprising: searching a first site to determine if the service is available at the first site; if the service is not available at the first site, locating a second site that is closer to a headquarters site in the configuration map than the first site is to the headquarters site in the configuration map; and searching the second site that is closer to the headquarters site to determine if the service is available.
To locate a service within an IP telephony network, the method first searches the local site. If the service is not available locally, the method uses the configuration map to identify another site that is closer to the "headquarters" site. The configuration map defines the hierarchical relationship between sites, so the search moves up the hierarchy. The system then searches this second site to determine if the service is available there.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the headquarters site is a site in the IP telephony network that does not have a parent site in the configuration map.
In the method of locating a service in an IP telephony network, the "headquarters site" represents a top-level site within the configuration map hierarchy. It does not have a parent site assigned to it, acting as the root or origin point for the network. The location of sites is defined relative to this headquarters site when searching for a specific service.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the service identified is a backup service.
In the method of locating a service in an IP telephony network using the configuration map, the service being searched for is a backup service. If the primary service fails at a site, the system uses the configuration map to locate a backup service at a site closer to the headquarters site in the network hierarchy.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the configuration map is stored on a server in the IP telephony network other than a primary server located at the headquarters site.
The method of locating a service in an IP telephony network, utilizing a configuration map for site relationships, involves storing the configuration map on a server *other* than the primary server located at the headquarters site. This setup provides redundancy, so the service location process can still function even if the primary server experiences issues.
18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the configuration map is stored on a server in the IP telephone network at a site other than the headquarters site.
The method of locating a service in an IP telephony network, utilizing a configuration map for site relationships, involves storing the configuration map on a server at a site other than the headquarters site. This provides redundancy in case the headquarters site is unavailable.
19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the service is provided by a switch.
In the method of locating a service in an IP telephony network using the configuration map, the service being searched for is provided by a switch. The method identifies the location of the switch providing the service, allowing phones to be routed correctly for the service.
20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the service is a voicemail service.
In the method of locating a service in an IP telephony network using the configuration map, the service being searched for is a voicemail service. The method identifies the voicemail server location, enabling proper routing for voicemail deposit and retrieval.
21. A method for managing an IP telephony network having a plurality of sites, the method comprising: providing a configuration map that organizes each of the plurality of sites in the IP telephony network relative to at least one other site; associating a first IP telephony element with a first parent site; updating the configuration map to include the association between the first IP telephony element and the first parent site; associating a second IP telephony element with the first IP telephony element; and updating the configuration map to include the association between the second IP telephony element and the first IP telephony element, wherein after the updates, the configuration map includes locations of the first IP telephony element and the second IP telephony element relative to other IP telephony elements in the IP telephony network.
To manage an IP telephony network, a method involves a configuration map that organizes sites relative to each other. A first IP telephony element is associated with a parent site, and this association is recorded in the map. A second IP telephony element is then associated with the first one, and this association is also added to the configuration map. After these updates, the map contains the locations of both elements relative to other elements in the network.
22. The method of claim 21 further comprising determining a second parent site of the second IP telephony element based on the associating between the first IP telephony element and the first parent site.
Building upon the method of managing an IP telephony network with a configuration map, the method further includes determining a second parent site for the second IP telephony element, based on the association of the first IP telephony element with the first parent site. This means the second element's location is inferred from the location of its associated element, streamlining configuration and ensuring consistency.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein the first parent site and the second parent site are the same site.
Continuing the IP telephony network management method, the first parent site and the second parent site of the telephony elements are the *same* site. This means the second telephony element inherits the same parent location as the first telephony element from the configuration map.
24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the first IP telephony element is a switch and the second IP telephony element is an extension associated with the switch.
In the method of managing an IP telephony network, the first IP telephony element is a switch, and the second IP telephony element is an extension (like an IP phone) associated with that switch. The method creates and updates the configuration map to include the relationship between a switch and its associated phones, allowing the system to understand the topology of the phone network.
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August 8, 2014
May 2, 2017
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